Volleyball's Rally Falls Short Against Texas-Arlington

Saturday, September 15

Iowa City, Iowa

5 p.m.

Ball State University

vs. Texas-Arlington

WVB Hosts Active Ankle Challenge This Weekend

Volleyball's Rally Falls Short Against Texas-Arlington

September 16, 2007 | Women's Volleyball

By: Ball State Athletics

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Despite four players with double-figure kills, the Ball State women's volleyball team concluded the Hawkeye-Holiday Inn Challenge with a hard-fought 3-2 (30-18, 26-30, 23-30, 30-23, 15-13) setback to Texas-Arlington Saturday evening in Iowa City, Iowa.

With the loss, the Cardinals end pre-conference play with a 1-11 overall record. The Mavericks improve to 7-6 with the win.

After recording just nine kills and a -.149 (9-16-47) attack percentage in a 30-18 opening set loss, the Cardinals responded with one of their best single-game performances of the season, scoring 22 kills and hitting .228 (22-9-57) to post a 30-26 second-set win.

In the third game, the Cardinals recorded 17 kills, while limiting the Mavericks offense to six markers and a -.061 (6-8-33) rate of success in a 30-23 game victory.

UTA rallied back to claim a 30-23 game-four win, before outlasting the Cardinals 15-13 in a back-and-forth fifth frame.

Sophomore opposite side attacker Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) was the offensive star for the Cardinals in the match, smashing a career-high 20 kills.

Sophomore outside hitter Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.) ranked second on the squad with 15 kills, while senior outside hitter/middle blocker Brittany May (Gaston, Ind./Wes-Del H.S.) and junior middle blocker Christine Kennedy (San Marcos, Calif./University of San Diego H.S.) each added 12.

Defensively, freshman libero Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) paced all players with 28 digs, while freshman defensive specialist Karin Caudill (Selma, Ind./Burris Laboratory School) added a career-high 15.

Teena Sobczak was the Mavericks' top attacker with 15 kills, while Dani Johnson added a team-best 26 digs.

Overall, UTA out-hit the Cardinals .175 (54-24-171) to .106 (72-49-217) and held a 15.5 to 9 advantage in total blocks. BSU held an 81 to 74 lead in digs, while scoring eight aces compared to three for Texas-Arlington.

Ball State opens Mid-American Conference play Thursday, when it travels to Mt. Pleasant, Mich., for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Central Michigan Chippewas. The Cardinals continue league play Friday night, with a 7 p.m. tilt versus Eastern Michigan.